TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 122

Mr Stitt, SEAD

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 243!

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND THE UNHCR

1. Points to make:

по

ізов

(i) UNHCR staff in Hong Kong still quite inadequate.

They must be reinforced to enable them to carry out their responsibilities.

(ii) UNHCR must take over responsibility for refugees

much more quickly. On 12 June they were only responsible for 14,142 of the refugees out of a total of 51,785 awaiting resettlement.

(iii) UNHCR must set up an office in Macau as soon as

possible to speed up resettlement from there, and discourage the Macau authorities from redirecting small boats to Hong Kong.

(iv) UNHCR should speed up resettlement to third

countries.

14 June 1979

P J Williamson

Hong Kong and General Department K242

233 4439

CONFIDENTIAL

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